Chapter of Insurgent (the actual book): 7

Disclaimer: I don't own the Divergent trilogy or any of the characters

After five hours or so, I check in on Tris (who I locked in her room), and the serum has worn off. Or at least, it appears to have, as she's glaring at a wall.

"Thank God," I whisper, pressing my forehead to the doorframe. "I was beginning to think it would never wear off and I would have to leave you here to… smell flowers, or whatever you wanted to do while you were on that stuff."

"I'll kill them," she whispers, and I can't help but smile. Well she's back. "I will kill them."

"Don't bother," I say, stepping inside her room and closing the door behind me. "We're leaving soon anyway," I say, taking the hard drive from my back pocket. "I thought we could hide this behind your dresser."

"That's where it was before," she says glumly.

"Yeah, and that's why Peter won't look for it here again," I say, pulling the dresser out, sliding the hard drive behind it.

"Why couldn't I fight the peace serum?" she asks. "If my brain is weird enough to resist the simulation serum, why not this one?"

I sigh softly. "I don't know, really. Maybe in order to fight off a serum, you have to want to," I say quietly, sitting down next to her.

"Well obviously I wanted to," she says, frustration rising in her voice.

"Sometimes," I say, putting my arm softly around her, "people just want to be happy, even if it's not real."

She looks down at her toes. "You might be right," she says quietly.

"Are you conceding?" I say, my jaw dropping mock surprise. "Seems like that serum did you some good after all…"

She shoves me as hard as she can (which is not too hard). "Take that back. Take it back now."

"Okay, okay!" I say, putting up my hands. "It's just… I'm not very nice either, you know. That's why I like you so—"

She cuts me off. "Out!" she shouts, pointing at the door.

I laugh to myself as I lean down to kiss her cheek.

I sit in the dining hall with Peter, Caleb, and Susan. Everyone has just settled down and begun to talk when Tris bursts dramatically through the door.

I walk up to her, touching her shoulder.

"Erudite," she gasps, panting.

"Coming here?" I ask.

She nods.

"Do we have time to run?"

The Abnegation at the other end of the table turn, facing us. They begin to gather around us, annoying the crap out of me.

"Why do we need to run?" says Susan. "The Amity established this place as a safe house. No conflict allowed."

"The Amity will have trouble enforcing that policy," says Marcus. "How do you stop conflict without conflict?"

Susan nods softly.

"But we can't leave," Peter says. "We don't have time. They'll see us."

I sigh softly. Now or never. "Tris has a gun," I say. "We can try to fight our way out."

I get up, starting towards the dormitory, when Tris's voice stops me.

"Wait," she says. "I have an idea. Disguises. The Erudite don't know for sure that we're still here. We can pretend to be Amity."

"Those of us who aren't dressed like the Amity should go to the dormitories, then," Marcus says. "The rest of you, put your hair down; try to mimic their behavior."

We walk through the hallway with the gray-clad Abnegation, sorting through clothes.

"Tris," Caleb says next to me. "You're still wearing gray."

She starts to take of the shirt, then she hesitates. "It's Dad's," she says, biting her lip.

Caleb smiles. "I'll put it on under mine. They'll never see it."

Tris nods, changing in a nearby room.

"Do you think the Amity will lie for us?" she asks me.

"To prevent conflict?" I nod. "Absolutely."

I tug at the red frayed shirt.

"Nice shirt," Tris says.

I wrinkle my nose. "It was the only thing that covered up the neck tattoo, okay?"

Tris smiles nervously, and my eyes skim her shirt. They seem to cover her okay.

Suddenly, the doors pop open, revealing the Dauntless and Erudite alike. I take Tris's hand leading her into the dormitory.

"I didn't think our faction would be that stupid," I whisper quietly. "You have the gun, right?"

"Yes," she whispers. "But there's no guarantee I can fire it with any accuracy with my left hand."

"You should work on that," I say, in my instructor voice.

"I will," she says, shaking. "If we live."

I suddenly stop, running my hands down her bare arms. "Just bounce a little when you walk," I say, kissing her forehead softly, "and pretend you're afraid of their guns," I kiss her again between her eyebrows, "and act like the shrinking violet you could never be," I kiss her cheek, "and you'll be fine."

"Okay," she whispers. Her hands tremble as the rise to my shirt collar. She pulls my head down, pressing her lips desperately into mine.

Then the bell rings. It rings again. Three times.

We join the crowd as they flood to the dining hall.

I sit next to Tris, who is pulling hair pins out of Susan's hair.

"Tell the kids to play tag," she whispers to Susan. Ooh. Good idea.

"Tag?" Susan asks.

"They're acting respectful and… Stiff. And Amity kids would be causing a ruckus. Just do it, okay?"

Susan spreads the message. Suddenly, I see Caleb smile ridiculously, jabbing Susan in the ribs. She laughs out loud, and I hope in my heart that Tris can see the beauty in this lifestyle. It's so simple, so carefree, so happy, I am almost envious. I was too broken for Amity, but sometimes, I wish I had ignored that, chosen a life of peace.

I see Tris's eyes widen, filling with panic. Before I can go to her side, I see Susan loop her arm through hers.

"I'm telling you a joke," she whispers, "that you find very funny."

I hear her high pitched giggles.

"Thank you," Tris whispers to her.

"You're welcome," Susan replies.

I sit across from Tris, looking into her deep gray eyes, feeling the comfort that they bring as the Amity talk aimlessly.

Johanna and the Erudite woman behind me walk, inspecting everyone. They do not see us.

Suddenly, someone bangs on a table behind me.

"Our Erudite and Dauntless friends are looking for some people," Johanna says, smiling. "Several members of Abnegation, three members of Dauntless, and a former Erudite initiate," she smiles. "In the full interest of cooperation, I told them that the people they were looking for were, in fact, here," she says, and I feel my fists clench, my throat tightening. "but have since moved on," she adds, and I release, taking a deep breath. "They would like permission to search the premises, which means we have to vote. Does anyone object to a search?"

No one objects.

"Three of you stick around," the Erudite woman says. "The rest of you, search all buildings and report back if you find anything. Go."

Immediately, the woman's eyes draw to mine, and I try my best to shrink back, but I have always been a tall boy that sits up straight. She starts walking closer to me, and I feel the muscles in the back of my neck twitch.

"Your hair is pretty short for an Amity," she says.

I close my eyes, feeling the tears begin to roll, feeling the fear creep up my spine.

"It's hot," I whisper, but it comes out as a snap. Now we're all dead because I cut my hair too damn short.

I feel her hand pull back my shirt collar, looking at my tattooed back.

And then I move.

I grab her wrist, yanking her forward so she loses her balance. She hits her head against the table and falls. Across the room, a gun goes off. Everyone ducks except for Tris, who stays absolutely still.

I grab the woman by the back of her neck, wrenching her to her feet. I hold her gun.

"Tris!" I call. "A little help here?"

I see the fear fill in her eyes as she draws her gun. Her eyes swim with ghosts. Sweat fills her eyebrow. What the hell is she so afraid of?

Caleb lunges forward, grabbing Tris's gun, and he shoots the Dauntless man who stands feet away from him.

I aim my gun at the Erudite woman. "Say another word, and I'll shoot," I whisper. Her mouth opens, but she doesn't speak. "Whoever's with us should start running.

Immediately the Abnegation rise up and bolt. Caleb grabs Tris, pulling her with him.

"Put the gun down," I say to the woman. "I have very good aim, and I'm betting that you don't."

I see Peter and Tris lying on the floor, where she just saved his life.

The woman drops her gun.

I follow Peter and Tris out of the building, and I slam the door behind me, locking the Erudite woman in the room.

And we run.

I find a hole in the fence, and I yank it open, allowing Susan, Caleb, and Tris to run through before me.

"Where are the others?" Susan whispers.

"Gone," Tris responds quietly.

Susan sobs. I pull Tris roughly to my side and I start to run again.

"I have to… stop…" Susan says quietly behind me, and I can feel the emotions rising inside me. I have to blink back tears, which is uncommon for me.

"What was that, Tris?" I exclaim.

"What?" she asks, her voice weak.

"You froze! Someone was about to kill you and you just sat there!" My voice escalates to a yell. "I thought I could rely on you to at least save your own life!" I scream, and all of the emotion I have felt over the last few days comes spilling out, and there is nothing I can do to stop it. I want to hit something.

I want to hit something.

Immediately I stop yelling. I cannot think that thought again. I will not think that thought again.

"Hey!" says Caleb. "Give her a break, all right?"

"No," I say, turning to Tris slowly. "She doesn't need a break."

Suddenly, I stop. I feel my throat soften. "What happened?" I ask quietly.

I believe in her. I believe that she is strong enough, that she doesn't need my pity. I'm not sure if she believes it.

She clears her throat. "I panicked," she whispers. "It won't happen again."

I raise my eyebrow.

"It wont," she says, louder.

"Okay," I whisper, unconvinced. "We have to get somewhere safe. They'll regroup and start looking for us."

"You think they care that much about us?" Tris asks.

"Us, yes." I say. "We were probably the only ones they were really after, apart from Marcus, who is most likely dead."

I am surprised at how easily that comes out of my mouth. He's dead. It's a fact. Why do I care?

"Tobias…" Tris whispers, but then she stops.

"Time to go," I say over my shoulder. Caleb coaxes Susan to her feet, helping her walk.

As I turn back to the road ahead, where no one can see me, I let one tear fall. Just one. Then I keep going.